Jimmy Buffett surprisingly snagged an honor for the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The “Margaritaville” singer, who died in 2023 at age 76, will be honored at the upcoming ceremony despite never having been nominated before.
During Sunday night’s broadcast of “American Idol,” fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest officially announced the inductees for the 39th annual induction ceremony, scheduled to take place Oct. 19 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton and Kool & the Gang are among the class of 2024.
Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey, Oasis, Sade, Eric B. and Rakim, Jane’s Addiction and the late Sinead O’Connor, were among the nominees who didn’t garner enough votes for entry this year.
Despite his recent death and huge fan base (lovingly known as “Parrotheads”), Buffett hadn’t been considered by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee this year. His entry into the museum comes through a non-voted honor for “musical excellence.”
Big Mama Thornton — long considered a foremother of rock & roll — and British blues musicians Alexis Korner, are slated to receive the Musical Influence Award, while music and television Suzanne de Passe will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, named after Atlantic Records co-founder.
